Apparatus for die pressing metal plates



Jan. 9, 1940.

APPARATUS FOR DIE PRESSING METAL PLATES Filed April 5, 1938 9 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOHN P. GALLAGHER ATTORNEY J. P. GALLAGHER 2,186,288

Jan. 9, 1940. J. P. GALLAGHER APPARATUS FOR DIE PRESSING METAL PLATES 9 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 19 38.

TATE.-

7 l I I l I I I l l I l I I I l I I I I l ll INVENTOR JOHN P. GALLAGHER ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1940. J. P. GALLAGHER APPARATUS FOR DIE PRESSING METAL PLATES V Filed April 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 1 JOHN R GALLAGHER W A Y d ifimmmlw ATTORNEY 9, 1940- J. P. GALLAGHER 2,186,288

APPARATUS FOR DIE PRESSII IG METAL PLATES v Filed April 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 I w A ##TLP w JOHN F: GALLAGHER w. Wm

,qiwom Jan. 9, 1940. J. P. GALLAGHER APPARATUS FOR DIE PRESSING METAL PLATES Filed April 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR JOHN R GALLAGHER QZLMXQQ ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR DIE PRESSING METAL PLATES Filed April 5, 1938 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 I INVENTOR JOHN F! GALLAGHER ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1940. J. P GALLAGHER APPARATUS FOR DIE PRESSING METAL PLATES 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed April 5, 1938 ZDDDD GOOD Y wgflazfa 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1940.

J. P. GALLAGHER APPARATUS FOR DIE PBESSING METAL PLATES Filed April 5, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 m H A $3 w N\ mm a H. v m L an E L D P V A (Q0 n I .8 N\ .N. 6 m g P 88 y Q m Y mm a an m.\ M Q m o a N\ WK J n N N N8 0 u l x u m m n m n n u n n c u u m a u u Ex .88 m LI m6 888 8mm mu u 5% D %\N QR. M a u u u n m n ,0 n n u m m n u n U u u U G A Jan. 9, 1940. J. P. GALLAGHER APPARATUS DIE PRESSING METAL PLATES 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 5,1938

H u u n u u a Q U n G A W.Q\ Qk RNV INVENTOR 'JOHN P GALLAGHER ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 9 1940 UNITE. STATES APPARATUS For: DIE PRESSINGI METAL PLATES? I John P. Gallagher, Jersey citmhli l, assignor, .by mesne assignments, to Standard .Bailway' I Equipment Manufacturing Companyga corporation of Delaware Application April 5, 193sfs eria1 Nb. 200,141

2 Claims. 7 (01. 113-4 9 The invention relates in general to a methodv for die pressing metal plates into corrugations, embossments and the like, and to a form of die structure designed for use in practicing the .method.

The present invention was developed incidental to the perfecting of the method for forming pressed steel car ends of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 2,00%,199, June 11, 1935, wherein it is suggested that internally reinforced, integral steel panels may be formed by inserting red hot steel stock plates between forming diesof the requisite contour and the resulting panelformed conventionally as the two dies are brought towards each other under pressure with the hot plate therebetween.

' same from the immediately surrounding areas.

i The present disclosure features a peculiar form 1 of coacting dies which are so formed that just before the final stages of the pressing operation .they look the'metal outlining each of the segregated areas from further creeping movement across the locking lines and thus confine the metalavailable during the final wall forming step to that which is looked within the outlines of its associated segregated area. I A further object of the invention is to cause the metal as it forms each wall to have an initial,

relatively unrestricted freedom of slippage or stretch at itsopposite long edged portions. It

is a particularly novel feature of this disclosure that the degree of permissible slippage or stretch at opposite edges of the forming wall is not the same but is controlled to regulate the amount of material drawn into the walls from the two regions beyond the side edges of the walls.

Considered in another way, while it isan objective of this disclosure to provide a technique for forming panels which will have approximately uniformity in thickness of material in all portions thereof, it is more important to control the thickness of material in the die press-ed portions so that certain selected areas shall have a slightly greater thickness than certain other selected areas.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved technique and a simple form of means for minimizingthis/escape of heat by conduction from portions of the hot plate during the period of time after the hot plate is located in position and during-thesucceeding initial step of the dieuforming operation.

Accordingly anotherobject of thelinventio'n is to provide a die pressing in which the resulting panel may be formed in one-die pressing operation and, will be free of internalstrains in the marginal portions and thus to maintain the outlining marginal portions in their initial flat condition and free ,of puckerings. or wavy areas."

Another object of theinvention is to provide for a die structure from which the formed panels may be withdrawn without distortion.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious. from a con sideration'of themethod features of the disclosure and from an inspection of theaccompanying-drawings and in part will be more fully set forth inthe following particular description of the method'of practicing the "invention, and

the invention also consists in certain new and novel modifications of the preferredmethod and other features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. I is a plan view of a "finished panel constituting-qthelowerof a two panel car end produced by a method'utilizing either one of the three die forms herein featured; I

Fig. 2 is an, enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; I

Figs. 3, 4, s, "1 and 8 illustrateone form of dies for forming the panelof Fig. l. and which form will be referred to sometimes hereinafter as the first embodiment or modification; I

Fig. 3 isa-plan View looking. upwardly onto the underside of the upper die element ofFigs.

Fig. 4 "is a view looking dovmwardlyonto-the top of thelowe'r die element of Figs. 6-8;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an unembossed stock blank with its corners cut out before, it is fed to the die press and which blankis shown in dotted line position resting onthe lower die eleand 20; Y

Figs. .6, T and 8 are each. vertical, longitudinal sectional views throughthe coacting die elements taken on the lines 6-45 of Figs; 3 and 4 showing the two outer endparts of thecomplet e die, that is, the part outside of thedot and dash lines 68 -ment in Fig. 4 and in fulllinesin Figs. 12, 13, 16

of Figs. l,;3and 4. andin the succeeding views reading upwardly of the sheet showing the dies in succeeding stages of their die pressing operations following the initial fianging operation;

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 correspond respectively to the showings in Figs. 6, '7 and 8 and disclose a slightly modified form of die elements hereinafter sometimes referred to as the second embodiment or modification and illustrated means for practicing a slightly different method of procedure in forming the corner post car end flanges;

Figs. 12 and 13 are each vertical sectional views corresponding to a part of the left hand end of either Figs. 6, 9, or the corresponding portion of the die in Figs. 16-19 showing two modified forms of the initial contacting elements of the die structure and also showing in the stippled areas of the hot plates regions of relatively lower temperatures at the initial stages of the pressing operation;

on the line I6-I6 of Fig. 14 and with the lower elements taken on the line I'I--II of Fig. 15 showing succeeding steps in the panel forming operation and wherein:

Fig. 16 shows the position of the dies spaced I apart with the blank corresponding to that shown in Fig. 5 but oflarger dimension inserted in place ready to be depressed;

Fig. 17' shows the position with the locking flanges bent and the upper die just coming in contact with the blank;

Fig. 18 shows the dies in their final pressing position;

Fig. 19 shows the dies restored to their open position and the finished pressing lifted up from the lower or male die;

Fig. 20 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2u 2az of Fig. 16; and on 20-40 of Figs. 14 and 15; and

Fig. 21 is a descriptive detail view showing in light lines a plan of one of the triangles of Fig. 1

when constructed on the third modified form of dies as hereinafter described.

The showing in Fig. 1 in'its disclosure of triangular or X-forms of interconnected embossments is copied from Fig. 1 of my above identified Patent No. 2,004,199, except that the panel extends horizontally, and the showings of the completely formed panel of Figs. 11 and 19 are each a section on the line II-II of Fig. 1 and corresponds substantially to the showing in Fig.

'6 of my patent, the several parts being similarly numbered.

Referring to the drawings of the die parts and particularly to Figs. 6 to 8, there is shown a die press It represented by the upper die holder II to which is demountably secured the depending upper die element I2, sometimes hereinafter referred to as a female die, and a lower die holder IS carrying on its upper .side the lower die element I4 sometimes hereinafter referred to as a male die. In the showing in both the Figs. 6-8 and in the Figs. 9-11 form, the upper die element is of slightly larger dimensions considered horizontally than the lower die element similarly measured and is designed to telescope onto the same as the elements nest one into the other. As will be noted later the parts which form the corrugations and embossments in the final panel are reversed, that is, the interior work engaging area of the upper die element of Fig. 6 corresponds to the interior work aging area of the lower die element of Fig. 9 and the other companion die elements in the two forms are similarly reversed. The die elements of both forms are of conventional rigid metal construction, preferably semi-steel, arranged in relatively superposed order and each provided with complementary channels and troughs, projections and depressions necessary to die press the stock material, work or sheet to the desired configurations disclosed in the finished panel of Fig. 1. The undersurface of the upper die element I2 and the upper surface of the lower die element I4 in Figs. 3, 4, and 8 to 11, each constitute a work engaging or forming surface of undulatory form as shown in the several sectional figures and of an open lattice work form as shown in plan in Figs. 3 and 4. The die face of the upper die element I2 as shown in Figs, 3 and 8 is formed of a set of ribs I5 connected end to end, having substantially flat or slightly concaved crown faces and inclined side walls I 6 conforming in plan outline and opposing their associated channels I! in the other die element I 4 and which channels have fiat bottoms I8 and slightly inclined side walls I9. The ribs and channels coact to form the interconnected, long, somewhat flat-top corrugations 3I-34, 35 and 36 in the finished panel (Fig. 1). The element I2 is also provided with a pair of frusto-conical bosses 2| coacting with similarly shaped depressions or cavities 22 in the element l4 to form the bulls eye or embossments shown at 42 in Figs. 1 and 8. The depressions 22 likewise are outlined by inclined side walls I9 and a flat bottom I8.

' The channels I? as they are arranged at the edges of the element I4 coact to form triangular shaped projections 23 which coact with the similarly shaped recesses 24 in element I2 to form the single triangular areas 40 in the original plane of the finished plate. The X-arrangement of the channels I I in the interior part of the element I4 form between them the four sides and rounded corner square, doughnut-like projections 25 which coact with the similarly shaped recesses 26 in the element I2 to form the double triangular areas 39 in the finished panel.

One of the distinctively novel features of this disclosure is that the crown portions of the ribs I5, sometimes called major projections, are not perfectly flat but are provided with shallow longitudinally extending air-gap forming recesses 21, distinct from the die forming surfaces, so as to form on opposite sides thereof a pair of long, parallel, spaced apart, narrow-width contact strips 28 and 29, hereinafter sometimes called minor projections, which do form part of the die forming surfaces.

The elevated portion 25 surrounding the cavity 22 in Fig. 1 is outlined by a recess defined on its inner perimeter by a circular contact rib S1 and on its outer perimeter by a rectangular, rounded corner endless contact rib 38, designed to form the parts which first come in contact with the hot plate after the initial flange bending operation hereinafter described. Similarly The high portions forming the work engaging surface ofthe lower die element provide a plurality of work supporting narrow lines sumcient in area and disposition to support the hot stock v plate of Fig. 5 against sagging when positioned :thereon after being flanged and preparatoryto beingdie'pressed, I 1' It will be understood as by reference to'Fig. 6

:a-rsegass :that in the old method and assuming that the insulating recesses herein featured,- such asthe shallow recesses, were omitted, the hot plate when'positio-ned on top of the lower die element lost its heat rapidly over. the entire areain enf gagement with the lower die as indicated by the width w b'a's shown at the right of Fig; 6 that .is, there would be a heat loss'over the entire "upwardly presente-d annular areabetween circular depression and the depressed straight -,and diagonal depressions or'channels. Similarly,'if the recesses 2"! in the upper die were omitted, Eheat would .be extracted from their corresponding area as ,soon as this advance portion of the "upper die contacted with the upper side of the hot plate. However, as shown-in Fig. 6,-the severalheat insulating recesses in each case reducethe area of contact from the width ct-b as shown by example at the right side of Fig. (-3 .by the amount c'd"thus leaving unavoidable heat/leakage areas, but 'areas which are rela-- tively narrow as indicated by the stippled areas.

In the case'of the'Figs.68 disclosure itis inmarked in this orderclockwise on Fig. 5, and I shaped to formlocking .flanges for securing the blank in pthe die during the die-pressing operation herein featured. The opposite shorter ex? tensions 47 and 49 become in the Fig. 11 disclo-.

sure the car end side post or attaching flanges,

the right flange being similarly numbered ll the finished end of the panel in Fig. 2.

Each edge of the upper die element in both .forms of the same is provided with an extension is shown at in Fig. 9 may be inclined or a space may be left between engaging parts, such cross'se'ction wth; a relatively short radius. nether words, when it is desired to have areas of 1'4 may eachbe cut back to form a shouldered recess Bil in which is replaceably mounted a 'coaeting wear plate 6| backed by one or more thin shims. The wear plates 51- and ti are referred to'sometimeshereinafter as a flange bending-niean s. v r w In orderto prevent the outlining panel from freezing tothe die, the peripheral'wall such as asbetween the wear plates 51. 6| in Fig.6..

adjacent :lower ou-terzfourv edges of the lower die tis noted in thQ'fOIllQ. of ,die elements herein "selected for description of theinvention thatthe ridges over which the metaLis drawn during thepressing operation, such as the strips 28 and 29.51121 Fig. 8, are substantially semicircular in In relatively large thicknessof material on one side. of this ridge in the final panel, the metal is caused to pass over portions of small curvature because these sharply contoured bends oifer relatively greater resistance to the. creeping or to'obstrsuct the free movement across the same.

stretchingof the'inetal across the same from one to the other side than would be the case if the radius of curvature were larger. In other words,

in those are'aswhe-re it is desired to keep the thickness on one side of the ridge almost that of the original thickness of the blank at, such areas-fare surrounded or at least partly outlined by more or less sharpri-dges which at least tend of the metal A acontrary instance, itviwill be noted that the circular contact rib 37 and the four-sided rib'38 (see Fig. 9) are also substantially semi-circular in cross section but in this case each has a relatively long'radius. In this case the metal is-met with less resistance to creeping or stretching over the ridges of this long radius contact stripthan v in the situationabove as hereinafter more fully 53, L-shaped in .cross section, projecting integrally from each of the four edges of the interior or stock pressing area of the die element. The

.L-extension forms, in eiiect,'a depending. con

tinuous, four-sided shoulder or frame 54 and an endless four-sidedv channel 55 into which ispressed the flanges 4849, and the portion of the stock plate immediately adjacent these flanges as shown in Figs. 6 B,'by the engagement therewith of a four-sided: rim 5t outlining the lower die element I4. The lower die element has an all-over horizontal dimension lessthan the distances between the opposing shoulders 55 so as to accommodate therebetween in rather snug relation the thickness of material which forms the locking flanges it-d9 when bent from their initiallyflat position shown in 5 into the locked position held between the die elements as shownin Fig. 6. It is suggested that the location of the inner face of the shoulders 54 be defined by a replaceable wear plate 51 which may be of variablethickness and that the inner work engaging faces 58 of the wear plates be accurately located to compensate for variations in thickness of the work stock by the-use of one. or -more thin v mi'rns- 5;) located between the wear plates and the shoulders. Similarly the the die elements.

1 ing conventional practices in this respect;

*struction that the die elements do not bottoni described.

(it is another distinctive feature of thedie conand main parts are separated by a layer 8! of insulating material, such asasbestos, which acts to retard heat transference from the supplemental parts H to the part is or" the die} In this the work engaging surface is formed partly on the main part Hi and partly on the supplemental part 8!] and extends continuously from one to the other across the joints formed by the layer of insulating material Bl.

In operation and referring first to the disclosure in Fig. 6, it will be understoodthat with the die elements conventionally separated, the

hot plate in the flat form shown in Fig. 5 is withdrawn from the heating furnace as quickly as possible located in position on the lower die as indicjated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4 follow- As quickly as practicable the upper" die is lowered,

' orthe lower die is raised, usually by pneumatic minimize heat losses into in case of the Figs. 6-8 disclosure.

hydraulic, or mechanical pressure onto the hot plate first to engage the extensions 45-49 which project beyond the outlines of the lower die element, to bend the extensions at right angles to the body of the blank, to form the bent locking flanges 43-49 into the form shown in Fig. 6, that is, by bending the four edges of the blankof Fig. 5 from the dotted line position into the full line position of Fig. 6. Then with the continued lowering of the upper die element the blank passes through the Fig. 7 stage into the Fig. 8

stageand the corrugations and embossments are thus formed as is usual in such die forming operations on heavy steel plates. It is an important feature of this disclosure that the locking flanges be formed before the dies begin to form, the several corrugations and embossments which give design to the finished panel and the stage "in the operation where the die elements have just locked the flanged but unembossed plate in position as shown in Figs. 6 and 9.

It will be understood that while the metal in the outstanding flat marginal edges .of a blank plate could not be held from creeping inwardly into the blank interior when simply held between the jaws of a clamping device; in this case the bent flanges, extending as they do more or less at right angles to the plane of the balance of the plate being die-pressed, acts to clamp the plate in the direction of its plane and the plate is held even under conditions where the clamping effect is of a relatively low order asin the In the method herein disclosed the blank is held rigidly at its outlining edges and all of the stretch in the material necessary to form the corrugations takes place in spaced relation to the outlining edge of the blank and as a result no wrinkling or puckering occurs at the edges of the finished panel. By eliminating the drawing of the plate internal stresses are prevented along the rails and edges of the panels.

It is understood that this discussion relates to relative temperatures and it is within the scope of the disclosure to perform the pressing operation with hot dies. As a matter of fact, it is practically impossible to keep the dies from heating during the course of rapidly repeated pressing operations and it is therefore to be assumed in this description that the dies are not at room temperature but are operating at the :high temperatures usual in work of this character.

Every effort is made to maintain the dies at the same temperature and thus avoid variations in the dimensions of succeeding pressings. This disclosure is simply featuring the minimizing of areas of contact between the hot plates and the portions of the dies, both lower and upper, which engage the plate during the initial stages of the pressing operation after bending the locking flanges.

Considering the situation during the Fig. '7 step of the first form and which likewise applies to the situation during the Fig. 10 step of the second form, the parts 39 and 40 which form the flats as Well as the marginal strip 83 are in the original plane of the stock plate. Referring specifically to the part bridged across the channel .l'! at the left of the figure and which eventually forms the corrugation 33, it will be noted that the metal forming the right wall I I3 for instance, overlaps the ridge 38 of relatively large diameter and underlaps the ridge 29 of relatively small diameter. At this time the metal necessary to form wall H3 is being stretched from both the areas 40 and 33 but not at the same rate. As noted above; the, large radius 38 offers relatively little resistance to the escape of metal from the area 40 and the small radius 29 is offering relatively greater resistance to the escape of metal from the area. 33. .Therefore, at this time the stretch is momentarily more from the area '4193 than from the area 33 and thus metal is taken out of the fiat 4E more rapidly than it is taken out of the part which eventually will form the crown of the corrugation 33. As the dies move from the Fig. 7 showing towards the Fig. 8 showing the metal has progressively more difficulty in rounding the short radius ridge 29 and I eventually the fold of the metal about this relatively sharp ridge becomes so pronounced that it will no longer stretch or creep and the metal is locked along the line at 29. During this time the forming wall I I3 continues to draw the metal from the area 40 with progressively increasing resistance until just before the dies reachthe Fig. 8 position when the "metal is locked alon the crown of the large radius ridge 38. This means that material is drawn into the wall H3 from the area 40 practically up to the termination of the pressing operation with, of course, reduction of thickness of material in the fiat -30.

After both long edges .at 29 and 38 of the wall H3 lock as thus described, the dies move into their final nested position as shown in Fig. 8 and at that time the wall H3 is completely formed with perhaps a slight final stretch and .thus a slight reduction in what otherwise would have been its thickness.

Following the method herein of utilizing the form of recess topped die element herein featured, these abnormally thinned out areas are not present in the finally completed panel and in this way lines and regions of weakness characterizing such panels as heretofore constructed have been eliminated. In the completed panel' as constructed as herein suggested, it has its marginal portion 23 slightly reduced from its initial thickness especially along the edge nearest the corrugations 3 land 32, thus retaining in the edge portion, that is, the uncorrugated outlining portion of the panel, the structural strength necessary to form the riveted lap joint structures disclosed in the above identified pressed steel car tion disclosed in Fig. 13, the operation is as above described except that, as the rate of discharge of the heat from the hot plate to the crown portions of the ribs or projections over the entire crown area is less than in the case of the steel dies in the Figs. 3 and 4 form, the rate of heat discharged has been minimized and to this extent the escape of heat across the points or lines of contact has been retarded. It is also noted, especially in the case of the Fig. 12 disclosure, that the amount of material in the supplemental parts I"! may be reduced in volume for the purpose of minimizing the heat capacity of the crown portions. It would follow therefore in the Fig. 12 form of thedisclosure that the mass of material inthe supplemental part 80 being comparatively small compared to! the entire die would quickly reach a temperature approximating that of the hot plate being acted upon and thus reduce the rate of. heat transference between the hot plate and the hot crown portions. Fig. v21 shows diagrammatically the method of preventing undue stretching of the sheet. The

' triangular area. 46 may correspond to the area of Fig. 1. The wall 3,- at an edge of the triangle isformed atan angle of 120". At a 90.

corner, such as HBgthe'fsldpe is made flatter in order to prevent drawing-too much metal from the walls I I4, ll 5 with consequentexcessive thinning thereof. which is the wall is still flatter, -being 138 as compared with 130 for a It is to be, un-

derstood that the angles mentioned are intended.

as examples only and not as a limit upon vthe invention. 1 '1 0 Figs. 14 and 16 to 20 show an arrangement for elevating the panel from the-"lower die imme. diately upon raising the upper die at the completion of the pressing operation, thereby minimizing the danger of uneven cooling on opposite sides of the panel with consequent shrinkage strains. Two spaced apart'plungers' I24 rest upon a beam 125 which in turn is supported*by f the piston I26 of a pneumatic cylinder I21. Movement of the piston J26 raises the panel from the lowerdie, the upper ends of the plungers being relatively small to prevent heat transfer.

Figs. 14, 15 and-20 show a die adapted to form a pressed panel with a flat area adjacent thereto. A one-piece center die193 is encircled by a At sharper corners, such as. IZI

rail of Which the extension'member is apart.

=Ribs and embossements which have been herev tofore described are formed by the center die 93 while theflat'area 128 is formed between. the centerdie 93'and extension member I05. .'I'l.'ie flat area may comprise, for example, the end plate ofa railway'car. i

Iclaimr- Q 1 1. In a die press for' forming corrugations in a metallic plate comprising reciprocating up er and lower dies, each of said dies being provided with a pluralityof parallel ribs so positioned that the ribs of one die move between the ribs of the other I die upon reciprocation of the dies, the crow'nportion of each ofsaid ribs being provided with a recess to' reduce area of',contact between-said die for securing the metallic plate in'the dies" during the formation of the corrugations.

plate andgsaid ribsgsaid dies being provided with e means to form flanges 'onfthe'margin's of the plate upon reciprocation thereof before the'ribs of one fdiemove between the ribs of theI otherY O 2'. In a die press foi' forming corrugationsin between said dies is pressed during said recipro cation, the; crown portions of said'ribs having rounded edges. said edges having difierent' radii of curvature so that the plate slides over some of the edges lessrapidly than over the other edges.

JOHN P. GALLAGHER.- 

